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December 27, 2015 at 8:33 pm #36152
znModeratorRams Sweep Seattle, Move to 4-1 in NFC West
By Myles Simmons
SEATTLE — Starting a two-game road swing to finish off the season on Sunday, St. Louis had strong contributions from all three phases to beat the Seahawks, 23-17, at CenturyLink Field. The win marked the first time St. Louis beat Seattle at home since the team’s playoff victory in early 2005.
The Rams took an early lead on a 42-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein on their second drive, and then got right back on the board with a defensive score.
On 3rd-and-1 from midfield, fullback Will Tukuafu took a handoff up the middle and got hit hard by a mob of defenders, which jarred the ball out. Linebacker Akeem Ayers picked the ball up on the ground, but wasn’t touched. The linebacker popped upright and raced down the field, getting a few good blocks in the process to end up in the end zone. The scoop and score put the Rams up 10-0.
Then in the second quarter, the defense recorded another turnover when Trumaine Johnson recorded his seventh interception of the season. On 3rd-and-19, Russell Wilson fired off a deep pass down the right sideline intended for Tyler Lockett. But Johnson and safety Cody Davis were both there to defend the jump ball, with the cornerback high pointing the ball and coming down with it on the St. Louis 11.
With the pick, Johnson has now recorded an interception in four consecutive games. He’s up to 15 for his career, which leads all members of the 2012 draft class. It was Wilson’s first interception since Nov. 15. He had 19 touchdowns and no picks over his previous five games.
While the Rams could not capitalize on that turnover, they did take advantage of strong field position later in the period. Ayers and defensive end William Hayes split a third-down sack for a 13-yard loss, forcing Seattle to punt out of its own end zone. Tavon Austin then returned the kick 21 yards to the home team’s 28-yard line.
The visitors wasted no time in taking a shot to get back on the board, as quarterback Case Keenum fired a deep ball to Kenny Britt down the right sideline. The wide receiver beat cornerback Richard Sherman on his route and dove to make the catch in the end zone. Though St. Louis missed the extra point, the visitors still extended their lead to 16-0.
A field goal late in the second quarter got the Seahawks on the board, and then the home team came right back to get on the board to start the second half. Though St. Louis had Seattle in a pair of 3rd-and-long situations, the defense couldn’t get off the field. Wilson eventually hit wide receiver Doug Baldwin in the end zone with a 25-yard pass for a touchdown to cap the 11-play drive, cutting the Rams’ lead to 16-10.
In the fourth quarter, the Rams moved down the field with a few fortunate bounces and heady play by the St. Louis center. On 3rd-and-1 from the Seattle 40, running back Benny Cunningham took a handoff up the middle, but fumbled as he made his way through the first wave of defenders. The ball ended up at the Seattle 35-yard line, where Tim Barnes fell on it for a first down. There was some initial confusion as to whom had made the recovery, but Seattle was already out of challenges and thus the play was not reviewed.
A play later, running back Todd Gurley broke through for a 20-yard gain, but toward the end of his run he fumbled while hurdling a defender. And once again, Barnes was down the field to fall on the football, this time making the recovery on the Seattle two-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal from that spot, Gurley finished the drive with his 10th rushing touchdown of the season, increasing St. Louis’ lead to 23-10.
Just when it looked like Seattle may score again, the Rams forced another turnover to halt the opportunity. Wilson scrambled for a 20-yard gain, but defensive end Eugene Sims caught up to him and jarred the ball loose with a big hit. Ayers was right there to pick up his second fumble recovery of the day, giving the offense the ball at the St. Louis eight-yard line.
Seattle forced St. Louis to go three-and-out, but had no timeouts and only 1:07 on the clock when they regained possession. Before the final whistle blew, Wilson connected with Jermaine Kearse for an 18-yard touchdown. But, the onside kick went out of bounds, and Keenum took a knee to secure the road win.
With the victory, the Rams have now won three in a row and improve their record to 7-8. They’ll finish the season next Sunday against the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif.
December 27, 2015 at 8:34 pm #36154znModerator]Tim Barnes at the center of Rams’ upset win in Seattle
Nick Wagoner
Just like you never expected, it took the center to break the streak.
As the St. Louis Rams’ fourth-quarter lead bounced awkwardly around the CenturyLink Field turf, it was center Tim Barnes who came to the rescue. Barnes recovered two fumbles in a span of three plays, extending the fourth-quarter drive that ultimately allowed running back Todd Gurley to put Sunday’s game away with a 2-yard touchdown run.
And with each Barnes recovery, the Rams took a step closer to doing what they hadn’t done in Seattle since Jan. 8, 2005: beat the division rival Seattle Seahawks on their home field and sweep the season series.
As it turned out, that’s exactly what the Rams did as they produced a dominant defensive performance and just enough offense to close out a 23-17 victory. That ended Seattle’s streak of 10 consecutive home wins against the Rams.
For Barnes, it was the culmination of an interesting year in which he was non-tendered as a restricted free agent, re-signed at a cheaper rate, won the starting job and held on to it throughout the year despite some rough outings.
Tim Barnes
Tim Barnes’ hustle helped the Rams earn their first win in Seattle since 2005.
Barnes’ first fumble recovery came after back Benny Cunningham appeared to convert a third-and-1 but fumbled it forward before Barnes wrestled it from safety Earl Thomas. The second came after Gurley burst to Seattle’s 9, but coughed it up only for Barnes to fall on it at Seattle’s 2.Three plays later, Gurley scored from 2 yards out to seal the win and give the Rams one of their most impressive victories of the season. Entering this game, it seemed the Rams would need something unexpected to pull out a victory. That something turned out to be the St. Louis center.
What it means: The Rams improved to 7-8 on the season, allowing them to match their highest win total since coach Jeff Fisher arrived in 2012. It also gives them a three-game winning streak for only the second time under Fisher and gives them a chance to get to 8-8 for the first time since 2006 if they can get a win next week in San Francisco. It also ensured the Rams a winning record in the NFC West division, where they improved to 4-1.
What were they thinking: On Seattle’s opening drive of the third quarter, the Rams couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of covering Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin, the same wideout who has been the league’s most productive player at his position in recent weeks. Baldwin torched the Rams for two catches and 53 yards with one coming on third-and-31 and the other on third-and-18. The first set up a fourth-and-3 conversion and the second went for a touchdown.
One reason to be excited: The Rams will face many tough decisions in free agency this offseason, but perhaps none will be more difficult than how to divvy up the money at cornerback. Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson have both played like No. 1 corners this season, with Johnson coming on especially strong in the season’s second half. The good news for the Rams is there might not be a bad choice to make if they can’t keep both. And if they can, they have one of the best young groups of corners in the league moving forward.
Fantasy watch: Running room was hard to come by for all parties in this one, especially early on. But for those who rolled the dice on Gurley, it turned out much better than expected. He finished with 85 yards on 19 carries and found his way into the end zone for the touchdown that iced the win.
Ouch: It was not a good day for the Rams and head injuries. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley, cornerback Johnson, linebacker Mark Barron and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks all departed to be evaluated for concussions. Johnson returned to the game but the others did not.
What’s next: The Rams will spend the week on the West Coast, traveling to Napa, California, to practice before wrapping up the 2015 season with a game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara.
December 27, 2015 at 8:35 pm #36155znModeratorWilliam Hayes, Akeem Ayers up; Greg Zuerlein down in Rams’ win
Nick Wagoner
A look at St. Louis Rams players who were “up” and those who were “down” in Sunday’s 23-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks:
UP
DE William Hayes: This season, the always steady Hayes has been his usual productive self but without many of the glamour statistics to go with it. Well, Hayes turned that around Sunday with a full-blown dominant performance. He finished with nine tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and five quarterback hits. He’s headed for free agency with plenty of gas in the tank and should be a valued commodity for the Rams and others this offseason.
LB Akeem Ayers: Ayers has been a disappointment since the Rams signed him to a free-agent deal in the offseason, in part because he’s rarely been used in the blitzing situations that were expected upon his addition. But Ayers stepped forward on Sunday and finally produced some big plays, coming up with a 45-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the first half. He also had eight tackles, a half sack, two quarterback hits and a pass defended.
C Tim Barnes: In many ways, it’s been a rough first season as the starter for Barnes but he came up with two huge fumble recoveries in the span of three plays during the team’s fourth-quarter scoring drive. The first one came on a third down to keep a drive alive and the next came near the goal line to help set up Todd Gurley’s touchdown.
CB Trumaine Johnson: Johnson left briefly to be evaluated for a concussion in the second half, but when he was on the field, he was the main operator of a no-fly zone. Johnson had four tackles, two passes defended and an interception on the day as the Rams defense limited Seattle to just 313 total yards.
DOWN
K Greg Zuerlein: The Rams didn’t have many players who obviously struggled in this one, but Zuerlein missed an early extra point that very nearly came back to bite the Rams at the end. Ultimately, it didn’t matter but if Seattle had scored on some late drives, that missing point could have been the difference.[/quote]
December 28, 2015 at 1:33 am #36179znModeratorThe streak ends here: Rams topple Seahawks
Jim Thomas
SEATTLE • For the first time ever, Chris Long and James Laurinaitis were beaming in the visitors’ locker room at CenturyLink Field.
The place has been nothing short of a house of horrors for the Rams over the past decade. Long and Laurinaitis have been around for much of the carnage, a string of 10 consecutive losses in Seattle dating back to the end of the 2004 season.
But not Sunday. Center Tim Barnes, hereafter known as Mr. Recovery, left with a game ball tucked under his arm.
Wide receiver Kenny Britt got the best of the great Richard Sherman on a key second quarter touchdown, diving on his bum shoulder to make the grab.
Cornerback Trumaine Johnson got his seventh interception, the first pick thrown by quarterback Russell Wilson since mid-November.
Defensive end William Hayes might still be piling up sacks. As for linebacker Akeem Ayers, well, the former New England Patriot is used to beating Seattle. See: Super Bowl 49.
Once again, the Rams won’t be going to the playoffs this season. But they got the closest thing to a consolation prize Sunday, a 23-17 victory over a playoff-bound Seattle squad that had been one of the NFL’s hottest teams over the past month and a half.
“To sweep Seattle is not easy,” Laurinaitis said. “You talk about a tough place to play. My first NFL game was here, the opener back when I was a rookie (in 2009). … To come in here and get a W, it can really turn an organization around.”
Long, who came into the league as a Ram one year earlier, in 2008, had been 0-7 in Seattle.
“Better late than never,” he chuckled. “It was awesome. It was a great team win.”
Listing badly at 4-8 and in the midst of a five-game losing streak, the Rams were heading south. Way south. But the Rams have now won three games in a row for just the second time under coach Jeff Fisher.
A victory in the season finale at San Francisco would put the Rams at 8-8 and end their streak of eight consecutive losing seasons. Given the expectations entering the season, it’s still a disappointment. But it could’ve been worse — a lot worse.
“They’re not giving participation trophies for us not quitting,” Long said. “But this team, that’s not what we do. It starts with Coach Fish. Coach Fish preaches we’re gonna come to work and fight every day.
“Even when the chips are down, I think you find out what people are made of. And I think we’ve got the right kind of guys in this locker room.”
During the game, the Rams lost linebacker-safety Mark Barron and defensive linemen Nick Fairley and Ethan Westbrooks to concussions. Johnson missed some time to get checked for a concussion before returning. Long left briefly with a stinger.
“We had to overcome some difficult things,” Fisher said. “Defensively, we lost four guys out of the rotation. That’s not easy. Those guys that played, stepped up and played hard and played well.”
Ayers’ first NFL touchdown, a 45-yard return of a recovered fumble, made it a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. Britt’s 28-yard TD pass, beating press coverage from Sherman with a double move, made it 16-0. (Greg Zuerlein’s extra point sailed wide left.)
But the game stayed the Rams’ way in large part because of the effort and resourcefulness of the unassuming Barnes, the bearded product of the University of Missouri.
“Tim was like the MVP,” Long said.
Pretty much. In 2013, starting in place of the injured Scott Wells, Barnes played against Seattle’s mammoth and menacing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane for the first time. It wasn’t pretty. This time around, Barnes held his own. And that was when he wasn’t recovering fumbles.
Seattle was threatening to eclipse that 16-0 Rams lead, pulling to within 16-10 on a third-quarter touchdown catch by Doug Baldwin, his 11th TD reception in five games. After which, the Rams were trying to scrape together a drive when Benny Cunningham fumbled carrying up the middle on third-and-1 from the Seattle 40.
The ball squirted high in the air and appeared to be recovered by Seattle. But Barnes somehow worked his way into the scrum — and came out with the football.
“You get to the bottom of the pile, and you’re just trying to do whatever you can to get the ball,” Barnes. “Luckily, I had just enough left in me to keep a hold of it.”
Two plays later, Todd Gurley burst off left tackle, hell-bent for the end zone. But the ball popped out after contact by Seattle cornerback DeShawn Shead and rolled down field. There was Barnes again, rumbling down field to recover the loose ball at Seattle 2.
“Right after that second one, I wanted to go out there and give him a big kiss,” Laurinaitis said. “Hard work and effort like that pays off. It’s phenomenal.”
By Barnes’ reckoning, it was the first time he had touched the ball twice in a game since his days as the “emergency” running back for Pettis County (Mo.) Northwest High.
From there, the Rams shrugged off a holding penalty and got into the end zone on a 2-yard run by Gurley. On third-and-goal from the 2, everyone in the stadium-record crowd of 69,080 knew Gurley would get the handoff.
“They knew what was coming. They knew we were gonna run the ball,” said Gurley, who went over 1,100 yards for the season with 85 yards on 19 carries Sunday. “But the offensive linemen did a great job. I was just trying to do some tough running out there.”
That he did, churning up the middle for his 10th touchdown of the season and a 23-10 Rams lead with 10:34 to play in the game.
But as long as Wilson is out there, the Seahawks always have a chance. An 18-yard TD pass from Wilson to Jermaine Kearse trimmed the Rams’ lead to 23-17 with 17 seconds to play.
An onside kick was next, and if the Seahawks recovered, they’d at least have a chance to throw a Hail Mary for the win. This time, Barnes wasn’t on the field to recover Steven Hauschka’s onside kick. (Not too many 300-pounders are on the “hands” team.)
Barnes’ presence wasn’t needed this time. The ball bounced out of bounds, the Rams took over, and for the third game in a row, quarterback Case Keenum and the offense lined up in the victory formation.
The December turnaround has been nice, Fisher said. “We made some difficult changes with respect to the quarterback and the coordinator change. Some of those things are paying off for us right now.”
December 28, 2015 at 1:35 am #36180znModeratorHochman: Fun victory over Seahawks means little for Rams
Benjamin Hochman
SEATTLE • The Rams’ rain-soaked ransack of a win did indeed rouse — but really, it was a ruse.
They’ll win at San Francisco next Sunday and finish 8-8, but is this really a team on the cusp?
The Rams have too many issues, notably under center, to think Sunday’s win at Seattle was a harbinger. Instead, it was what it was — a fun, funky and wacky win against the hottest team in football, a random outcome thanks to the most-random of standouts.
Akeem Ayers. William Hayes. Tim Barnes.
I mean, Tim Barnes got the game ball!
But this season is just like all the others under fourth-year coach Jeff Fisher, who has finished 7-8-1, 7-9 and 6-10 for the Rams. They’re stuck. And Sunday’s win, and the $7 million on Fisher’s contract next season, probably means it’ll be deja vu for the Rams come August, regardless of where they spend August.
So let’s look at Sunday in a vacuum. It really was a fun one. Case Keenum, the admirable backup quarterback, has surely earned a chance to win that job next season. And Rob Boras, the hard-working offensive coordinator, makes one wonder why Fisher didn’t fire the old dude faster (though, to be fair, the Rams had only 207 total yards).
And Barnes, for a day, made us remember why this game is so fun: because in a league with omnipotent, omnipresent superstars, sometimes it’s some random guy who makes a game-saving play (or two).
On the most-important drive of the game, the St. Louis center recovered a pair of fumbles, the first on a third-and-1 from the Seattle 40-yard line, the second all the way down on the 2-yard line.
Seriously, what are the odds of this?
“Luckily I had just enough left in me to keep a hold of it,” said the burly, bearded Barnes, a Mizzou alum. “You know what happens in the bottom of the pile.”
And two plays later, Todd Gurley scored a touchdown, giving St. Louis a 23-10 fourth-quarter lead. Alas, Barnes didn’t recover the spiked football to put in his living room.
“What can you say about Tim Barnes? That was great effort, great effort,” Fisher said. “You don’t want to see balls on the ground, but we got some bounces and Tim made two big plays. That’s the way they’re coached — (linemen run) down field, in case that happens.”
After the game, Barnes was a media darling in the winning locker room, explaining that he already had 117 text messages on his phone. In the losing locker room, Seattle center Patrick Lewis was on the verge of tears, taking the blame for fumbled snaps for the now 9-6 Seahawks.
Also, the rambunctious Rams defense sacked the slippery Russell Wilson four times, three by Hayes, and they intercepted the first Wilson pass since Week 10 against Arizona. And there was Ayers, who scooped up a fumble and rumbled 45 yards for a first-quarter score.
“I made a few people miss,” Ayers said of his scamper. “I don’t know how long it took me to get there — they say it took me a while.
The win “just shows the type of team that we have, when we’re hitting on all cylinders. This is the type of football I think we’re capable of playing, and even better than this. Tough, physical, smart football. We just need to do that on a regular basis.”
Surely, Rams players have been saying this after wins for, oh, a decade. Most teams look good after wins. But good teams don’t lose five consecutive games, a reality that will sadly be glossed over by some, who will look at the Rams, probable winners of their final four, as a hot team heading into 2016.
You know where I stand: The Rams need a new starting quarterback.
They haven’t had a Pro Bowl quarterback since Marc Bulger.
And in fact, the Rams hadn’t won in Seattle since Bulger was under center. It was during the 2004 season, when the Rams won a playoff game against the Seahawks on Jan. 8, 2005. They’d lose the next week against Atlanta. The Rams haven’t been back to the playoffs since.
In the Jan. 8, 2005 win, much like Sunday’s win, it took some magic from the most random of Rams. Tight end Cam Cleeland had only seven catches that season, none for a score, but with 2:11 left against Seattle, Bulger threw a 17-yard pass to the tight end, sealing the 27-20 playoff victory.
Cleeland is now 40. He is, coincidentally, from the state of Washington. I texted him Sunday night, and sure enough, he’d watched the whole game.
“Being apart of a great NFC West rivalry in the early 2000s, and a Rams memorable playoff win, I never thought it would be 10 years since the Rams could win in Seattle,” Cleeland said. “The Rams defense line is very impressive, Gurley is a superstar, Feels like they are just a quarterback away.”
That would be a start, but there are many more question marks with the Rams, who could have a somewhat respectable record, yet again, but won’t be in the playoffs, yet again.
December 29, 2015 at 7:52 am #36243znModeratorFisher hopes Seattle win can be a springboard
Jim Thomas
Sunday’s totally unexpected 23-17 victory over Seattle won’t get the Rams into the playoffs. It didn’t even get them to .500 — they’ll need another win in the season finale in San Francisco to avoid coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth consecutive losing season with the Rams.
Even so, the victory’s importance can’t be overestimated, because if you can win in Seattle, you can win anywhere in the NFL.
“I feel like when the Cardinals won up here a couple years ago, I think that really gave them a belief that they could go anywhere and get a ‘W,’” linebacker James Laurinaitis said.
Obviously, the Rams hope it can have the same effect on them, and a carryover impact to 2016.
“Yeah, I think there’s something to be said about that,” Fisher said. “It’s not an easy place to play.”
For that reason and more, Fisher rated it as among the top three victories since he came to St. Louis in 2012 and probably the top road victory over that span.
“I’ll credit our offensive line and the offensive coaches and the game plan and Case (Keenum),” Fisher said. “We didn’t have a false start, we didn’t have a sack in one of, if not the toughest, places to play. I don’t think there’s many teams that can say they came in and out of here without either one of those two things.”
Beyond that, Keenum was barely touched by the Seattle pass rush. He ended the game with a clean uniform and a fresh body. Unofficial press box stats credited the Seattle defense with zero quarterback hits.
In case you’ve forgotten, Keenum is operating behind a line that consists of two rookies (right guard Cody Wichmann and right tackle Rob Havenstein), an undrafted center in his first full year as a starter (Tim Barnes), a journeyman at left guard (Garrett Reynolds) and a struggling high draft pick at left tackle (Greg Robinson).
“We’re not knocking people off the ball like we would like to,” Fisher said. “Eventually we’ll be able to. But we are protecting the passer. We aren’t attempting a lot of passes, but when we do we’re protecting the passer. We’re getting rid of the ball.
“These guys are doing a good job downfield. They’re athletic. They’re making the blocks. Our screen game is working. They understand the scheme. They have a good sense for misdirection and the Tavon (Austin) reverses. We just have to keep going and expand on it.”
Don’t be confused. It’s not like the Rams are piling up the yards. Keenum had a mere 103 yards passing against Seattle — a good total in maybe 1935. But the Rams have been efficient on offense and are playing nearly mistake-free football on that side of the ball.
With the help of Barnes pouncing on a couple of fumbles Sunday, the Rams have committed only one turnover during their three-game winning streak. Overall, they are plus-5 in takeaway-giveaway differential in those games.
With the Rams at 4-8 and saddled with a five-game losing streak in early December, the wheels appeared to be falling off. A 5-11 or even 4-12 finish seemed to be inevitable. Calls for Fisher’s ouster and a major house-cleaning reached a crescendo.
But Fisher and the Rams kept it together and cobbled together three victories since a post-concussion Keenum was re-inserted as the starting quarterback and Rob Boras replaced Frank Cignetti as offensive coordinator.
“It’s a one week at a time process — that’s the key,” Fisher said. “You have to be consistent every week. At the same time, you’ve got to change things up. You can’t dwell on the wins; you can’t get overworked over the losses.
“You just keep going and get them to trust that what we’re doing and the way we’re doing it is the right way. You stress improvement, and that’s what we’ve done. Again, like I said (Sunday), we’ve made a couple of changes. Difficult changes.
“One, to go with Case, and then to give the offense over to Rob. It appears after three weeks that those were good decisions. Guys are really excited right now. … I don’t remember seeing that kind of energy in the locker room that we saw after a win.”
So Fisher isn’t going anywhere; even a loss to the 49ers won’t change that. A victory over the 49ers puts the Rams at 8-8, which would snap the franchise’s string of eight consecutive losing seasons. Not exactly cause for a parade, but still better than the alternative.
Fisher does not consider 8-8 a satisfactory record.
“But 8-8 is better than 7-9,” he said. “Probably more importantly, to be able to win four straight, finish the year with four straight wins, would give us momentum into the offseason.”
Then again, there are no guarantees. In 2006, the Rams won their final three games of the season to finish 8-8 under rookie coach Scott Linehan. In 2007, the Rams went 3-13 and haven’t seen .500 since. Four games — and four losses — into 2008, Linehan was fired.
But for now, the only thing the Rams can shoot for is 8-8. And the only thing they can concern themselves with is San Francisco, reeling after a 32-17 loss in Detroit that put the 49ers at 4-11.
“Right now, the goal is 8-8, to be honest with you,” Laurinaitis said. “To get to a point where I’ve never been — and that’s just heck, 8-8, .500. For this organization, this is a big step.”
December 29, 2015 at 9:41 am #36246
AgamemnonParticipantGetting to 8 – 8 is a step, but I wouldn’t call it a springboard. To many question in the passing game. imo
“Right now, the goal is 8-8, to be honest with you,” Laurinaitis said. “To get to a point where I’ve never been — and that’s just heck, 8-8, .500. For this organization, this is a big step.”
AgamemnonDecember 30, 2015 at 8:16 am #36297znModeratorTen Takeaways from the Rams’ 23-17 Win Over the Seahawks
Randy Karraker
http://www.101sports.com/2015/12/28/ten-takeaways-rams-23-17-win-seahawks/
For the second time this season, the Rams shocked the Seahawks and the NFL, putting a stranglehold on an early lead and holding on for a 23-17 win in Seattle on Sunday.
The formerly invincible-at-home Seahawks went 5-3 at Century Link field in 2015, the same record the Rams achieved at the Edward Jones Dome. Now the Rams shoot for a .500 record for the first time since 2006. Baby steps. And with that, 10 takeaways from Sunday’s win…
1) I understand the excitement over a three game winning streak under quarterback Case Keenum and offensive coordinator Rob Boras, I really do. However, it should be noted that the Seahawks scored seventeen points, and the Rams offense scored sixteen. Keenum was workmanlike, going 14-23 for 103 yards and a touchdown. Admittedly, he’s working with a less than stellar cast. But the offense generated 207 yards. The win is nice, but I’m not ready to anoint Keenum as THE GUY at quarterback heading into 2016. After all, in his last win for the Rams, Austin Davis was 13-24 for 105 yards and a touchdown (with two interceptions).
2) Credit to Jeff Fisher and his staff for keeping the players engaged despite being out of the playoffs. Getting a team to go from 4-8 and a five game losing streak to 7-8 with a three game winning streak is a testament to the Rams effort.
Unfortunately, they let games in Minnesota and Baltimore get away. A really good team would have preserved those wins and perhaps been 9-6 with a playoff shot heading into the final week of the season.
3) Fisher rightfully gave the game ball to center Tim Barnes, the former Mizzou center who hustled to recover fumbles by Benny Cunningham and Todd Gurley on the fourth quarter drive that put the Rams up 23-10. If Seattle recovers either of those fumbles…especially Cunningham’s…the Rams are in trouble, playing defense with a six point lead. You can always tell an offensive lineman is hustling when you see him downfield on long running plays. Orlando Pace always did that. Barnes’ hustle and attentiveness won the game for the Rams.
4) During the pregame show on 101 ESPN, Anthony Stalter and I noted the great work of the defensive staff with the absence of Robert Quinn, Alec Ogletree and T.J. McDonald. During this game, the Rams lost Mark Barron and, for a time, Trumaine Johnson. Yet they still played at a high level. Russell Wilson had gone 110-148 with nineteen touchdowns and no interceptions, averaging 284 yards per game for a passer rating of 146.2 in his last five games. The Rams held him to a 25-41, 289 yard, two touchdown, one interception performance…with 40 yards and a touchdown on the Seahawks meaningless final drive. Trumaine Johnson’s second quarter pick was the first of Wilson in 168 attempts. With all the injury issues on defense, the Rams also ended Seattle’s 25 game string of 100 yard rushing days. Gregg Williams and the defensive staff continue to work magic.
5) For the fourth game in a row, the same offensive line of Greg Robinson, Garrett Reynolds, Barnes, Cody Wichmann and Rob Havenstein started and finished the game. That continuity makes a big difference. You can see the combo blocks the Rams put together for Todd Gurley’s runs, and they provide great protection. Gurley ran for 85 yards and 4.5 per carry, and Keenum wasn’t sacked. When an offensive line group works together, regardless of their talent level, they play better. We are seeing that with this group.
6) The Rams are now 4-2 when they win the turnover battle, 2-4 when they lose it, and 1-2 when it’s even. They’re 4-1 when Gurley goes over 100 yards rushing. 0-5 when attempting 30 or more passes, 5-1 when they outgain their opponent. They’re 7-0 when they score 20 or more points and 0-8 when they score less than 20. Now we have another stat. The Rams are unbeaten when Jeff Fisher wears a cap on the sideline. He’s going to have to try that again next week.
Aside from scoring 20 or more points, that’s the only category in which the Rams have a perfect winning percentage.
7) Remarkably, the Rams can move to 5-1 in the NFC West with a win in San Francisco next week. They could end the franchise’s string of losing seasons at eight, despite the string of non-winning seasons reaching twelve this year. But most alarming is that even if the Rams go 8-8, they’ll be 3-7 outside the division, with the wins coming against Cleveland, Detroit and Tampa Bay at home. I know success starts in the division, but to be a playoff team there needs to be a formula that includes beating other teams. Whether it’s going 8-0 at home and 4-4 on the road, or 5-1 in the division and 5-5 outside, somewhere along the line the Rams are going to have to be good and consistent against the entire league.
8) Hey Seattle fans, your team isn’t the only one allowed to hit hard. Football is still a collision sport, and defensive players are paid to hit offensive players hard. So when Rodney McLeod leveled Jermaine Kearse and separated him from the ball early in the fourth quarter, your move is to ooohh and aaahh, not to boo a guy for playing hard. If the Seahawks got booed every time they hit someone hard, there would never be any cheering. Again, hard hits are legal in this game. Even though they aren’t encouraged the way they were back in the day, they’re still why we watch. Don’t boo a guy for doing his job well.
9) By the way, with Pittsburgh’s loss, at the moment the Rams have played seven teams that will make the playoffs; Seattle and Arizona twice each, Minnesota, Green Bay and Cincinnati. Against those teams, the Rams finished 3-4, and obviously 0-3 against those out of the division.
10) Fans aren’t the only ones that have seen the last of the Rams for this season. Because they play in San Francisco next week, the franchise decided to stay on the west coast during New Year’s week before playing their finale in San Francisco, so most St. Louis media won’t see them this week, either. The team doesn’t want their players to be worn out by flying west TWICE in two weeks. Apparently the Rams weren’t paying attention last year when the Cleveland Cavaliers flew to Oakland to play on June 4th and 7th, then flew BACK to Cleveland for games on June 9th, 11th and 14th, and then again to Oakland for a game on June 16th. Then again, maybe that’s why the Cavs lost. Nonetheless, the Rams will practice in Napa this week before ending their season Sunday in Santa Clara against the 49ers.
Have a happy and safe New Year’s holiday, and I’ll see you on the radio.[
December 30, 2015 at 8:28 am #36298znModeratorFinding a way to finish spurred Rams to victory in Seattle
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Looking back at how the St. Louis Rams fared in three key areas of Sunday’s 23-17 win against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field.
1. Finish strong — The Rams entered Sunday’s game with 10 consecutive losses on Seattle’s home field. To break that streak, it stood to reason that they would have to check off all three of these boxes and then some. But this was the part they needed to handle the most.
Since coach Jeff Fisher arrived in 2012, the Rams have had a knack for playing the Seahawks close for a half or three quarters before giving in and losing in the fourth quarter. In two of those three meetings, the Rams held halftime leads, only to watch the game slip away in the final 30 minutes. Before Sunday, the Rams had been outscored by a cumulative 36 points in the second half of that trio of meetings, including a 20-0 difference in a 20-6 loss at Seattle to close the 2014 season.
But something finally changed Sunday when the Rams were able to do enough in the second half to get a win. To be clear, they still got outscored 14-7 in the second half but one of those Seattle scores was a meaningless touchdown with 27 seconds left. Of more importance was the 2-yard touchdown run from back Todd Gurley, which came after the Seahawks drove down and scored. Gurley’s touchdown gave the Rams back the two-score lead that had just vanished moments before. It was the kind of response they hadn’t been able to muster in Seattle recently, and it was enough to allow the Rams to lead the entire game.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Rams’ wire-to-wire win ended Seattle’s NFL record streak of 62 consecutive games in which it held a lead at some point in the game.
2. Todd Gurley’s Seattle debut — Apparently, Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett wasn’t all that impressed with the Rams’ rookie running back, calling him average after the game.
But what Gurley did in Seattle was better than average against the Seahawks’ vaunted run defense. Seattle entered the game stout against the run, ranking third in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and fourth in yards allowed per carry. And the Rams had struggled to run the ball in Seattle during their long losing streak.
Gurley didn’t find much running room most of the day, but he did it when it counted, finishing with 19 carries for 85 yards and the game-clinching touchdown. Gurley’s 85 yards were the second most by a running back against Seattle this season and his 4.47 yards per carry was the third-best outing by a runner against Seattle this year.
3. Big plays and turnovers — The Rams somehow won the first matchup against Seattle despite being minus-two in turnover margin. They did it because they were able to make so many big plays. In that game, St. Louis had eight plays of 20-plus yards, which accounted for 223 of their 352 yards in the game. In addition, Tavon Austin had a 75-yard punt return for a touchdown that helped tip the scales in the Rams’ favor.
But to break the losing streak in Seattle, the Rams needed to add turnover margin to their big plays. And that’s exactly what they did. The Rams were plus-three in turnover margin, including a scoop and score by linebacker Akeem Ayers that set the tone early and staked the Rams to a lead. Just as important, the Rams had zero giveaways, though they came close until center Tim Barnes fell on a pair of fumbles.
The big plays weren’t as prevalent, as the Rams had only two plays of 20-plus yards on Sunday. But they made one of them really count as quarterback Case Keenum hit receiver Kenny Britt for a 28-yard touchdown. Meanwhile, Seattle only had three such strikes, making this a relative wash and helping the Rams find a victory in Seattle.
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